Analyzing a Change Process through the Change Path Model

Part I

Interview a manager at any level who has been involved in change with his or her organization. Ask the person to describe the change, what he or she was trying to accomplish, and what happened. Use the following questions as guides for the interview.

• How was the desired change identified? What were the reasons for the change?
• Describe the gap between the organization's current performance and the desired future state.
• What was the vision for the change? How was that vision communicated throughout the organization?
• How were the formal structures, systems, and processes involved in the change?
• How were the recipients of change and other key stakeholders engaged in order to get them on board with the change?
• What tools and trainings were used as the change was implemented, and how did the leadership make the change stick?
• What challenges surfaced that weren't accounted for in the original change plan?
• What were the results of the change process? Did the results reflect the original vision? How was measurement used to facilitate change at different stages of the process?

Part II

After the interview, describe the process of the change by answering the following questions that are related to how they managed the process:

• How did the manager work to make things happen?
• Who was involved?
• How did they persuade others?
• What resources did they use?
• Also describe what was being changed? Why were these things important? How did these changes help the organization?
• As you reflect back on the interview, which do you feel was more important to the impact of the change: how things were changed, that is, process, or what was changed?